1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a fishing reel component. More specifically, the present invention relates to a fishing reel component that can be detached from a shaft member or reattached to a shaft member of a fishing reel with a one-touch operation.
2. Background Information
A spool or fishing reel component for a spinning reel has been known which is detached from a spool shaft or reattached to a spool shaft or a shaft member with a one-touch operation performed by pushing a push button. (See, for example, Japan Utility Model Application Publication JP-U-06-068447.) A conventional one-touch detachable/reattachable spool is detachably mounted to a spool shaft. The one-touch detachable/reattachable spool has a tapered surface formed on a tip thereof and an annular groove formed to a rear of the tapered surface.
On the other hand, a spool or a fishing reel component for a single-bearing reel has been known which is detached/reattached from/to a spool shaft or a shaft member with a one-touch operation performed by moving a lever. (See, for example, Japan Patent Application Publication JP-A-2000-201600.)
According to the conventional art described in Japan Utility Model Application Publication JP-U-06-068447, the spool includes a spool unit, a spring member, a lid member and a push button. The spool unit includes a mounting space formed in a pass-through portion through which a spool shaft passes and an end surface through which a sprocket shaft passes. The spring member is arranged in the mounting space and is capable of engaging with an annular groove in the spool shaft. The lid member is mounted on a front portion of the spool unit to retain the spring member. The push button serves to disengage the spring member from the annular groove.
The mounting space is a circular space concentrically arranged around the pass-through portion. The spring member is a resilient wire member that is bent into a shape. The spring member includes a pair of engagement portions that are arranged to face with each other so that they are engaged with the annular groove. The spring member further includes a C-shaped connecting portion that connects an end of one of the pair of engagement portions to an end of the other of the pair of engagement portions so that the other ends of the pair of engagement portions are wrapped around. The spring member is engaged with the annular groove and urges the push button in a direction opposite to the direction in which the push button is pushed.
The push button is mounted on the outer circumferential side of the spool shaft, and is also mounted in the mounting space so that it is movable forward and backward and can pass over the annular groove. The push button includes a pair of tapered portions that are mounted between the engagement portions and formed on an end of the push button so that the gap between the pair of engagement portions is widened by movement of the push button in the axial direction. The push button further includes a push operation member that is exposed outward from the center of the lid member. The engagement between the annular groove of the shaft member and the spring member is released by pushing the push operation member. The push operation member is a tubular member with a bottom. The pair of tapered portions has internal diameters that are smaller than the diameter of the push operation member and larger than that of the spool shaft. In addition, the shape of the pair of tapered portions is just like a mountain shape formed by obliquely cutting the tubular member extended from the bottom of the push operation member into folding-fan shapes. When mounted, the pair of tapered portions is arranged opposite from each other so that the spool shaft is arranged between them. The tips of the tapered portions are inserted between the pair of engagement portions in a state in which they are urged by the spring member. The lid member is screwed into the spool unit, for example, and also retains the push button.
When the push button is pushed toward the spool shaft, the tapered portions expand the gap between the engagement portions of the spring member. Thus the engagement between the spool and the spool shaft is released to be in a detachable/reattachable state. In this state, the spool is detached from the spool shaft. In addition, when the pair of engagement portions is expanded by the tapered portions, the engagement portions apply force to the tapered portions in a direction that the engagement portions approach with each other. Accordingly, the push operation member is urged in a direction opposite to the direction in which the push operation member is pushed. Because of this, when the push operation is stopped, the push button will move in the opposite direction, and the pair of engagement portions will return to a state in which they can be engaged with the spool shaft.
When the spool is mounted to the spool shaft, the engagement portions of the spring member are spread apart by means of the tapered surface of the spool shaft. Then, when the spring member is positioned in the annular groove, the engagement portions grasp the annular groove to thereby retain the spool on the spool shaft.
According to the conventional structure described in the Japan Patent Application Publication JP-A-2000-201600, the annular groove is formed on the spool shaft on a tip side of a bearing supported by the spool member. In addition, a lever member is mounted on the spool unit so that it can move in an engagement position in which the lever member is engaged with the annular groove and a remote position in which the lever member is distant from the annular groove. Furthermore, a handle exposed outside the spool is attached to the lever member. The lever member is moved to the remote position by manual operation of the handle. Thus the spool is detached form the spool shaft. The lever member is urged to the engagement position side by a plate spring. According to the structure described in the Japan Patent Application Publication JP-A-2000-201600, the release operation of the spool can be performed by moving the lever member. Therefore, the length of the structure in the spool shaft direction can be formed to be relatively short. However, the moving operation of the lever member is necessary for the structure. Therefore, it is less convenient to perform the detachment/reattachment operation of the spool in the structure, compared to the release operation performed by pushing a push button.
If a one-touch detachable/reattachable structure of the conventional art described in the Japan Utility Model Application Publication JP-U-06-068447, that is, the one-touch detachable/reattachable structure in which the spool can be detached/reattached from/to a spool shaft by a push button used to easily perform a detachment/reattachment operation, is applied to a detachable/reattachable structure of the spool of the single-bearing reel of the conventional art described in the Japan Patent Application Publication JP-A-2000-201600, the axial length of the spool is formed to be longer. In other words, in a detachable/reattachable structure using the push button, the push button that has a tapered member and is formed to be longer in the axial direction is required to be moved further in the axial direction. Therefore, the length of the detachable/reattachable structure in the axial direction is formed to be longer. This type of detachable/reattachable structure has to be arranged on the tip side of the bearing in the axial direction. Accordingly, there is a possibility that the push button protrudes from the end surface of the spool.
In view of the above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that there exists a need for an improved one-touch operation fishing reel component with a shortened length of the detachable/reattachable structure in the axial direction. This invention addresses this need in the art as well as other needs, which will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure.